This Vancouver-based duo are giving creatives in the city a new edge

Vancouver is a city pulsing with creative energy.

Technology, art, music, design – it’s all happening here. You’ll meet entrepreneurs, graphic designers, writers, dev ops engineers, and marketers, many of which have a side-hustle going because their passion is high and they want to share their talents.

So it’s only natural that Vancouver would need a creative agency. One that stands out is Salt Design Co., established by Lucy who moved to the city from England, and Vancouverite Daphne. The dynamic pair met in design school and now they’re specializing in brand identity and website design for small business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. They also host monthly events for creatives and even publish an e-book after each one so people around the world can read them.

Daily Hive spoke with Daphne and Lucy to find out more about what they do and what gives them their unique spark.

What inspired you to team up and start Salt Design Co.?

Daphne: When Lucy and I finished school, I realized the next step was to job hunt, which turned out to be incredibly daunting (and slightly fruitless). Eventually, I was approached by a friend for a potential project and while I wanted to say yes, I didn’t want to do it alone. So I approached Lucy about joining forces. And here we are now!

Lucy: Throughout our design program we had talked about joining forces, with each other and with other friends. It became reality almost immediately after graduating when we realized that we could balance each other out and form a strong partnership.

Daphne: When we sat down to discuss what we envisioned for our company, the first few things we realized is that we wanted to make design easy. We wanted people to know that design is important but it doesn’t have to be elusive.

Lucy: We wanted to support and educate our clients too – it can seem daunting and confusing as a new business owner to hire someone for your branding or website. You have zero budget, but you also realize that there’s only a certain amount of this that you can do yourself. We wanted to cushion that blow a bit and make the design process a little easier.

What features do you feel set your company apart from other creative agencies in Vancouver?

Lucy: Education and support continue to be the emphasis of all our services – we’re not like any other creative agency because we’re coaching and consulting with our clients as we go. Anyone who has a dream of a business immediately recognizes that they need to learn a million things – they have very little budget, limited resources, but a determination to get things done nonetheless. We’re here to support them, teach them, and answer all their questions as they grow their business.

Can you tell us about the monthly events you host as part of the ‘Salty Series’?

Daphne: Our Salty Series is our panel talk series where we focus on brand, web design and other topics that are important to entrepreneurs. We want to foster an open conversation and bring in different levels of expertise so that we can capture more than one facet of what it is to be in the design world and be a small business.

Lucy: We gather other business owners in the city to inspire and educate our community – and us too! We often choose topics that we want to learn about or thoughts that have been on our mind. The Salty Series is our chance to share our knowledge and ideas in an accessible forum and really get to know people in the city outside of social media.

Who would you encourage to attend these events?

Daphne: The Salty Series is for creatives and entrepreneurs of Vancouver who are trying to run a small business. We ourselves are a small business and want to share in the highs and lows of what it takes to embark on this endeavour.

Lucy: Our events are perfect for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and anyone with a side-hustle. They’ll be able to learn about new topics that will grow their business, hear different perspectives and stories, and most importantly be part of the conversation.

What is the main take-away that clients get when they work with you?

Daphne: That when they work with us, they will be working with a high level of professionalism but that we are also approachable, and want to make sure that you understand the processes and why they’re important. Essentially, every step we take with you is open and honest.

Lucy: We’re on the same level as our clients, working hard every day and learning what it takes to build a business. We’re here to have some fun, make great designs and help our clients build their own dream businesses. Once you’re a Salt client, you’re part of the family!

You’ve also released a collection of e-books, who should read them in 2018?

Daphne: Everyone! There’s lots of great information in there that would help any small business.

Lucy: The e-books are a condensed version of the information at each of our events – they’re a chance for anyone who doesn’t live in our city to have access to the same information, or for anyone who couldn’t make it an event. So anyone who’s interested in the events will benefit from the e-books – they’re full of the real conversation, advice, and knowledge from our panelists.

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To find out more or to work with Lucy and Daphne, visit Salt Design Co. or email [email protected]. Check out Salt Design Co. on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get the latest updates.